


it's cold outside

by spikespiegels



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Established Relationship, Kinda, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Sad, more like friends with benefits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 02:51:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8950972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikespiegels/pseuds/spikespiegels
Summary: ...but no warmer inside.Or: Dojima loves Adachi very much, and decides to show it on Christmas. However, Adachi is in denial at the very worst time.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is sad  
> merry christmas

“No, not like that, Nanako-chan!” Adachi said, gently taking the box from Nanako’s lap into his own hands to show her how to tie the ribbon perfectly atop the present. “There! Try now.” he said, handing the box back after undoing the ribbon again.

Determined, Nanako puffed her cheeks and did her best to do what she'd been shown, managing to tie a lopsided ribbon with an accomplished smile. “I did it!” she cried, jumping up onto her feet and running over to where her father sat on the couch. “Look, daddy! I made a bow!”

Dojima set his beer down on the floor to pick up the box, giving Nanako a little smile. “It looks great, sweetie.” he assured her, patting her on the head. “Adachi is a pretty good teacher. Who knew?” he teased, glancing back over to the kotatsu where Yu and Adachi both sat, chatting over coffee and cookies.

“Why, thank you, Dojima-san.” Adachi smiled, setting the present Nanako had helped wrap underneath the tree in the corner. “I have to say thanks to Nanako for helping me wrap these gifts, too. I'm terrible at wrapping things.”

Nanako beamed at the praise, giving a bright smile as she settled back at the kotatsu, much more cheery than usual as she watched the Christmas movie on TV. Yu was quiet as he munched on a cookie he'd baked earlier, watching the movie as well.

There was a silence in the room save for the noise of the TV, unt Dojima suddenly stood, stretching and sighing. “Hey, Adachi. Can I… talk to you upstairs?” Hopefully Nanako wouldn't think they were going to have a fight. It was the opposite, really. Or so he hoped.

Adachi just blinked at first, staring at Dojima in confusion before standing up, nodding. “Alright.” he said, glancing back at Nanako and Yu, who looked just as confused as he did, before following Dojima out of the room and into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

“Sir…” Adachi started. “Are you really wanting to… uh, do it, when they're just the next room over?”

Dojima wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch himself or Adachi. Leave it up to his bumbling partner to ruin the moment.

Sighing, he shook his head. “No. It's not about that, Adachi. Just… be serious, okay? Don't make this harder for me than it already is.”

Adachi looked even more confused than before, opening his mouth to speak before thinking better of it and remaining silent for the time being.

“Adachi…” he swallowed. “T-Tohru… When I met you this spring… I didn't… expect to like you.” He mentally recoiled at his choice of words. “I… have been bitter, and lonely since Chisato died. I tried to isolate myself from anyone and everyone that wasn't Nanako. But then you came into my life, and I expected just another new officer who had no clue what he was doing, who would never last out here… And I couldn't have been more wrong. You're… so much more than I gave you credit for, Adachi. Even now. I can't thank you enough for deciding to stay here in Inaba. And I know this is selfish… And terrible of me to ask. But if you decided to stay here, in Inaba with me… forever, I’d be the happiest man alive.” As he spoke, he slowly lowered himself down onto one knee, hands shaking as he pulled a ring box from his back pocket. “Tohru. Will you marry me?”

Adachi’s face throughout the long-winded rant had been filled with many expressions- confusion, fear, sadness, uncertainty… But now his face was devoid of emotion as he went as white as a sheet, watching Dojima lower himself onto one knee.

Marriage, huh?

What a lie, Adachi thought, but he could feel his composure crumbling.

“I… I don't… “ he began, panicking visibly. As cynical as he most certainly was, there was some, small part of him was feeling the emotions, processing them before he could stop them.

“No.” the word felt like it echoed throughout the room, and he watched as Dojima’s very heart broke right in front of him as he sat on his knee, soul exposed in front of Adachi.

 

It was beautiful.

 

It was horrendous.

 

Dojima didn't move for a few seconds before slowly standing up and closing the ring box, gripping it tightly in his hand. “Get out.” he whispered, quietly at first. When Adachi didn't move, he said it again, yelling this time.

“Get. Out!” he said again, louder, refusing to make eye contact with Adachi any longer. Finally, he looked back to Adachi.

“Get out. I don't want to see you in my house any more.”

Adachi swallowed and turned, obeying as he left the bedroom, slamming the door behind him and grabbing his coat from the coatrack, not even bothering to take his santa hat off as he slipped his shoes back on and left, ignoring Nanako’s confused cries and Yu’s panicked questions.

Merry Christmas, huh? What a load of shit.


End file.
